Mapping Food Desert Persistency in Thunder Bay, Ontario, 1996-2006

Bradley A. Wilson, Sarah McKenzie

Abstract

Thunder Bay, Ontario is a remote community that has been identified in recent government reports as having high percentage of residents living below the poverty line as well as having the largest increase in the province in food bank usage from 2007 to 2009. Identifying neighbourhoods with multiple risk factors and poor access to full-service food retail provision (i.e., food deserts) is a key step in strengthening the local food system. Food deserts were found in all three census years used in this study. Two food deserts persisted and many new food deserts appeared on peripheral regions of the city over this time period.